SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology
SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology credit: 4 Hours.
Sociology offers a unique lens through which we can examine the world around us. In this course you will develop a perspective that will allow you to analyze the social world in a way that reveals the hidden and/or overlooked social forces that shape our lives. This approach, the sociological imagination, will enable you to explore how social forces influence the ways we view and navigate our social world. We will discuss how sociologists use theory and research to better understand important social issues such as inequalities of race, class, gender, sexualities and how social order and social change are possible. We will discuss how society affects individuals and in turn how individuals can affect society.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Social & Beh Sci - Soc Sc
Instructor: Professor Kevin Leicht
Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 12:30pm - 1:50pm
SOC 101 Sociology of Gender
SOC 101 Sociology of Gender credit: 3 Hours.
An exploration of current questions of gender and their applications to students today. The course will focus primarily on the United States emphasizing individual, interactional, and institutional aspects of the social world. Topics for study include sociological research on femininities, masculinities, gendered bodies, socialization, work, family, politics, sport, and sexualities.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Social & Beh Sci - Soc Sci
Instructor: TBA
Meets: Online
SOC 160 Global Inequality and Social Change
SOC 160 Global Inequality and Social Change credit: 3 Hours
Introduces sociological concepts of poverty, inequality, and social change within a global context. Themes explored include basic food security, poverty and hunger; population and resource distribution; foreign aid and development institutions; and social policies and movements for change. Course approach is historical and transnational, and typically includes case studies from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the United States.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria in Spring 2019 for:
Cultural Studies - Non-West
Social & Beh Sci - Soc Sci
Instructor: TBA
Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 11:00 - 12:20
SOC 162 Intro to Intl Health Policy
SOC 162 Intro to Intl Health Policy credit: 3 Hours.
Introduces students to international health policy. Students will learn about data sources, basic analytical techniques, and theoretical frameworks for understanding international health policy. From a sociological perspective, students will explore why health issues are essential components to discussion of globalization, immigration, and migration. Students also will learn how health policy and foreign policy decisions in the developed world influence health policy and health care delivery in the developing world.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Social & Beh Sci - Soc Sci
Cultural Studies – Western
Instructor: Professor Jane VanHeuvelen
Meets: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11:00am - 11:50am
SOC 163 Social Problems
SOC 163 Social Problems credit: 3 Hours.
A study of social problems in the United States necessarily entails a discussion of global issues. To that end, this course will examine many contemporary social issues such as crime, war and terrorism, the environment, inequality, poverty, discrimination, the economic recession, and others, through a global framework. Many of the topics we will cover could motivate an entire semester's study in their own right; indeed, some scholars devote their entire careers to but one of these topics. However, this breadth allows us to think broadly about the issues that are identified as social problems and the ways in which individuals and groups attempt to resolve those problems; both processes are revealing about the time and society in which we live. One of the main objectives of this class is to learn about how sociologists examine social problems through analysis and research. Alongside that process, you will improve your critical thinking skills and become a better/more informed consumer of information.
Instructor: Professor Ilana Akresh
Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 8:00am - 9:20am
SOC 196 Whiteness in America
SOC 196 Whiteness in America Credit:
More information coming soon.
Instructor: Professor Monica McDermott
Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 9:30am - 10:50am
SOC 200 Introduction to Sociological Theory
SOC 200 Introduction to Sociological Theory credit: 3 Hours.
This course is an introduction to the foundations of sociological theory. Topics may include the problem of social order and the nature of social conflict; capitalism and bureaucracy; the relationship between social structure and politics; and the evolution of modern societies. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
Instructor: Professor Monica McDermott
Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 12:30pm - 1:50pm
SOC 225 Race and Ethnicity
SOC 225 Race and Ethnicity credit: 3 Hours.
Sociological and social-psychological analysis of minority groups; illustrative material drawn from representative racial, ethnic, and status groups.
Prerequisite: SOC 100, SOC 101, OR SOC 163.
Instructor: Professor Ghassan Moussawi
Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 2:00pm - 3:20pm
SOC 274 Health, Illness and Society
SOC 274 Health, Illness and Society credit: 3 Hours.
What do you do when you get sick? Where do you go? Who provides your medical care? In this course we will discuss why the answers to these basic questions are actually quite complex. This course is designed to introduce students to medical sociology and will examine issues surrounding health, illness and healing from a sociological perspective. Throughout the course we will cover numerous topics including: the social construction of health and illness, healthcare providers, healthcare systems - including contemporary debates regarding healthcare reform - and the social determinants of health inequalities. Additionally, this course offers an introduction to sociological theories and concepts that may be particularly useful for those interested in pursuing medical school or any career in a health-related field.
Instructor: Professor Jane VanHeuvelen
Meets: Monday, Wednesday 2:00pm - 2:50pm and Friday Online
SOC 275 Criminology
SOC 275 Criminology credit: 3 Hours.
Nature and extent of crime; past and present theories of crime causation; criminal behavior in the United States and abroad, and its relation to personal, structural and cultural conditions; the nature of the criminal justice system and the influences of the exercise of discretion among actors in the criminal justice system.
Prerequisite: One of the following: SOC 100, SOC 101, SOC 163 or equivalent.
Instructor: TBA
Meets: Online 2nd 8 weeks
SOC 350 Technology and Society
SOC 350 Technology and Society credit: 3 Hours.
Examines the social and cultural origins of modern technology and technological innovation; the effects of technology and its change on society. Topics include the impact of technology on beliefs and values, accommodation and resistance to change, and technology and the Third World.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Social & Beh Sci - Soc Sci
Instructor: Professor Daniel Steward
Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 12:30pm - 1:50pm
SOC 375 Criminal Justice System
SOC 375 Criminal Justice System credit: 3 Hours.
Exploration of the actors, institutions, and processes that make up the criminal justice system. We review sociological and other social scientific research on topics including the police, prosecutors, the courtroom work-group, forensic evidence, juries, sentencing, and the impact of mass incarceration. Grades are based on exams, research exercises, and ethnographic observations of criminal courtrooms.
Prerequisite: SOC 275 is recommended.
Instructor: Professor Anna Marshall
Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 11:00am - 12:20pm
SOC 378 Sociology of Law
SOC 378 Sociology of Law credit: 3 Hours.
Examination of law and legal institutions sociologically. We begin with an introduction to theoretical perspectives on the problem of order, illustrated by juxtaposing formal law with other means of achieving order. Next, we consider law and legal systems in action, including relations between law and the economy, stratification, culture, ideology and social change. Finally, we investigate the relationship between law's aims and principles, and law's real-world implementation.
Instructor: TBA
Meets: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12:00pm - 12:50pm
SOC 396 Bigots and Snowflakes: Living in a World Where Everyone Else is Wrong or Free Speech, Viewpoint Diversity, and Higher Education
SOC 396 Bigots and Snowflakes: Living in a World Where Everyone Else is Wrong or Free Speech, Viewpoint Diversity, and Higher Education credit: 3 Hours.
In this class, we will directly address questions surrounding viewpoint diversity. The course is built on two foundational premises. The first is that there is a lack of viewpoint diversity in higher education; recent survey data confirm this trend. The second assertion is that this lack of diversity damages the mission of higher education. Inherent in the definition of viewpoint diversity is the principle that there is a spectrum of perspectives ranging, politically speaking, from staunchly conservative on one end to radically progressive on the other – and that the voicing of perspectives falling along that spectrum without social penalty is integral to a healthy society.
Instructor: Professor Ilana Akresh
Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 9:30am - 10:50am
SOC 396 Social Network Analysis
SOC 396 Social Network Analysis 3 Hours.
This course will introduce theories of social networks (how they form, and how they influence thoughts, feelings, and behaviors), while also providing hands-on experience with some powerful tools and methods for analyzing networks on various scales, ranging from small groups to communities to populations. We will explore how the field emerged and how the first analytic tools were developed, and look closely at some of the landmark studies since then that have applied social network analysis to understanding (for example) the evolution of cooperation, the dynamics of social capital, and the formation of social identity. We will also review case studies where an appreciation of social network dynamics has informed policy innovations public health and other domains, with particular attention on how positive patterns of social support and community engagement are being cultivated to promote socio-emotional resilience throughout the lifecourse.
Instructor: Dr. David Hopping
Meets: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:00am - 10:50am
SOC 447 Environmental Sociology
SOC 447 Environmental Sociology credit: 3 or 4 Hours
Examination of historical and modern consequences of environmental alteration and pollution and resource limitations on human populations in the context of various social change theories. Explores the environmental movement, population explosion, the "limits to growth debate," and the impacts of environmental change on food production, land, and water quality.
3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: SOC 380 or equivalent; and one of the following: SOC 100, SOC 101, SOC 163, RSOC 110 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.
Instructor: Professor Zsuzsa Gille
Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 2:00pm - 3:15pm
Same as: ENVS 447 and RSOC 110
SOC 450 Senior Capstone Seminar
SOC 450 Senior Capstone Seminar credit: 3 Hours.
Over the course of the semester, students will conceive and execute an original sociological research project, using their knowledge of the sociological literature developed in substantive courses and their skills in data collection and analysis developed in methods courses. In parallel, students will explore professional opportunities in sociology and engage in professional development activities, including exploring opportunities for graduate education and learning skills in job search, and resume, c.v., personal statement and cover letter development.
3 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. Prerequisite: One of the following: SOC 100, SOC 101 or SOC 163; and SOC 380. For Sociology majors only.
Instructor: Professor Ruby Mendenhall
Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 3:30pm - 4:50pm
SOC 470 Social Movements
SOC 470 Social Movements credit: 2 to 4 Hours.
Origins and development of groups in promoting and resisting change, resource mobilization, strategies and tactics, individual and social consequences. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.
Prerequisite: One of the following: SOC 100, SOC 101, SOC 163, or six hours of anthropology, social geography, political science, or sociology.
Instructor: Professor Asef Bayat
Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 9:30am - 10:50am
SOC 479 Law and Society
SOC 479 Law and Society credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Examination of the social and political organization of the legal system, including the development of disputes, the role of gatekeepers to the legal system, and the political significance of litigation. Examines the role of law in sustaining and dismantling structural forms of inequality, as well as the relationship between law and social change.
3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Credit is not given for both SOC 477 and SOC 479. Prerequisite: One of the following: SOC 100, SOC 101, SOC 163, or six hours of anthropology, social geography, political science, or sociology.
Instructor: Professor Anna Marshall
Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 3:30pm - 4:50pm
SOC 488 Demographic Analysis
SOC 488 Demographic Analysis credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Focuses upon initial and intermediate techniques for the assessment of demographic data including quality assessment procedures, calculating core demographic metrics, gaining familiarity with approaches to population projection and estimation, and mastering risk assessment techniques linked to single and multi-decrement life tables. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: SOC 270.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Quantitative Reasoning II
Instructor: Professor Cynthia Buckley
Meets: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11:00am - 11:50am
SOC 496 Science, Technology, and Society Studies
SOC 496 Science, Technology, and Society Studies credit: 3 Hours.
Provides students with a grounding in the field of science, technology, and society studies (STS). Using classic and contemporary texts, we map this interdisciplinary field. Topics to be covered may include, but are not limited to, historical investigations of science and technology, technological determinism, social constructionism, laboratory and fieldwork studies, intellectual property regimes, politics and technical knowledge, philosophy of science, scientific/technological innovation and diffusion, and science and technology in popular culture.
Instructor: Professor Daniel Steward
Meets: Tuesday, Thursday 8:00am - 9:20am
SOC 500 Classical Sociological Theory
SOC 500 Classical Sociological Theory credit: 2 Hours.
Analysis of major classical sociological theorists of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, stressing the social, historical, and philosophic foundations of sociological theory; primary emphasis on Marx, Durkheim, and Weber.
Instructor: Professor Kevin Leicht
Meets: Tuesday 3:30pm - 6:20pm
SOC 510 Professionalization Seminar
SOC 510 Professionalization Seminar credit: 2 Hours.
Introduction to the graduate program in Sociology and to graduate study in the discipline of Sociology. Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 4 hours. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in Sociology and consent of the Director of Graduate Studies.
Instructor: Professor Asef Bayat
Meets: Tuesday 12:30pm - 1:20pm
SOC 586 Adv Social Statistics I
SOC 586 Adv Social Statistics I credit: 4 Hours.
Examines social science applications of the general linear model and its extensions; topics include: model specification; ordinary and generalized least squares; multicollinearity; selection of predictors; interaction of variables and non-linear regression; panel and time-series data; measurement error; path analysis; recursive and non-recursive structural equation models. Applies statistical computing packages (e.g., SPSS) to social science data. Credit is not given for both SOC 586 and PSYC 406. Prerequisite: SOC 485 or equivalent.
Instructor: Professor Tim Liao
Meets: Monday 3:30pm - 6:50pm
SOC 596 Social Stratification
SOC 596 Social Stratification credit: 4 Hours.
This course provides a broad introduction to the topic of social inequality. We will engage with classical and contemporary theories of inequality, as well as empirical research on the shape, causes, and consequences of inequality. More broadly, we will develop a sociological understanding to the question, “Who gets what, and why?”
Instructor: Professor Tom VanHeuvlen
Meets: Thursday 5:00pm - 7:50pm
SOC 596 Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
SOC 596 Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Methods credit: 4 Hours.
This course seeks to examine the possibilities and problems associated with the integration of qualitative and qualitative methodologies. In particular, it examines the importance of mixed methodological approaches for comparative research. The seminar seeks to provide participants with a “hands on” approach to data collection, evaluation, and analysis. Through individual and group assignments, we will gain experience with specific methodological approaches and ethical concerns, including familiarity with the basic epistemological challenges associated with qualitative and quantitative approaches, central issues in probability and non-probability sampling/case selection, basic survey and interview protocol construction, observational techniques, focus groups, in-depth interviews, and content analysis. Depending on interest, basic GIS and or network analysis has been included in past offerings. The final project is a formal mixed method grant proposal. This project enables participants to explore the possibilities offered by mixed methods studies and can provide the basis for a portfolio writing sample, a future fellowship application, or even the beginnings of your dissertation prospectus.
Instructor: Professor Cynthia Buckley
Meets: Wednesday 3:30pm - 6:20pm